This invention relates to heat and moisture exchange devices.
Heat and moisture exchange devices are used in medico-surgical applications to take up heat and moisture from a patient's exhaled breath passing through the device and to transfer it to inhaled gas. One disadvantage with the presently available exchange devices, is that they impede the flow of the gas, leading to a pressure drop across the exchange element. This pressure drop can be reduced by increasing the area of the element exposed to the gas. This, however, makes the element larger and heavier, thereby correspondingly increasing the size and weight of the housing which may cause discomfort to the patient. It can also increase the dead space within the casing and increases the cost of the device itself, its packaging, transport and storage. Some devices must be connected in a particular orientation in order to prevent the build up of condensation in the device. This is a disadvantage because it requires care to be taken by the user in connecting the device into the patient breathing circuit.